Palworld Dev: Steam Next Fest Still Worth the Gamble Despite AI Flood

Ever feel like Steam Next Fest is just a sea of AI-generated games these days? You're not alone. But according to one of the leads behind Palworld, it's still a gamble worth taking.

John 'Bucky' Buckley, head of publishing and communications at Pocketpair, took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the fall edition of Steam Next Fest, which just kicked off. He acknowledged the elephant in the room: the event is packed with AI-assisted releases, and that's got people questioning whether it's still useful for promotion. But Buckley's take is more nuanced than you might expect.

"The number of Next Fest games that get almost no attention has always been very high," he points out. "Even long before this AI slop era." He explains that Steam randomizes games heavily for the first few days, but after the first 24 hours, the discourse tends to focus on the same 25-ish games. In his view, "the cream rises to the top"—if your game hits the right mix of quality and trendiness, it'll find its audience. And he's got a point: standout debuts and clever releases keep finding communities on Steam, because players are always hungry for fun new experiences.

Buckley also reflected on how Next Fest has changed. "Next Fest five or six years ago was a much more niche event," he says. "There were fewer games, but there were also fewer players. I think players back then were the sort who enjoyed playing demos, offering feedback, submitting bug reports, and actively digging around for hidden gems." That was the original spirit of the festival—a place for devs to gather valuable data and wishlists before launch. Since it started in 2021, though, influencer culture has exploded and the player base has grown. Now, many treat Next Fest as a window-shopping trip, gravitating to the most popular and polished titles.

But is AI really the villain here? Buckley isn't so sure. "We want to blame AI, and sure, Next Fest does have a lot of AI slop, but are gamers really that dumb? Is anyone actually playing this stuff?" he muses. "I suspect the vast majority of it sinks to the bottom and rots almost immediately, just like low-effort games did long before AI existed." He's right—asset-flips and meme games have been clogging Steam for years, and most vanish without a trace. AI just adds another layer to an old problem.

That said, Buckley isn't dismissing the challenges. "I'm not saying that discoverability isn't getting harder, or that AI slop isn't a problem," he continues. "It absolutely is. But I do think we're far too quick to brand every disappointing result on the number of games joining Next Fest." His advice to struggling devs? Don't give up. "Next Fest has always been a gamble, and it's a gamble I think is still worth taking." In the end, all you can do is keep trying.

This fall's festival runs all week, so if you're a dev, now's your chance to throw your hat in the ring. And for Palworld fans, the next big update, Palworld: Side by Side, is set to release in Winter 2026. What do you think—is Next Fest still worth it for indie devs? Will you be checking out the demos this week?